I Will Never Leave You Again
by dandin
Summary: After having a horrific dream about Hermione's endurance at Malfoy Manor, Ron vows that he will always protect her and never leave her. Inspired by DH part 1. One-Shot


**A/N- So I'm sure all of you would agree or hopefully agree that Deathly Hallows part 1 was phenomenal! I'll be seeing it for the third time this week! I loved the chemistry between Ron and Hermione so that's why I decided to write this one-shot**

**Disclaimer/A/N**: © JK Rowling for all her Harry Potter characters, ideas etc. She owns that world! This is not a re-write of anything original. This is just my original story and story idea. © Warner Bros for DH script rights

I Will Never Leave You Again

The trio went to bed after that horrific endurance at Malfoy Manor and the death of Dobby. They all had it one their minds, but none of them said anything. Ron for one could not mute the horrifying piercing screams from his head. The anger, the frustration, the feeling of helplessness swept through his heart, like the ball of light from his deluminator did when her voice led him back to her. After everything that he put her through, because of his own selfishness; it should have been him under the interrogation of Bellatrix.

_Ron grabbed hold of the cellar's bars, as if he was going to use all his strength to break them apart. "You let her go!" he snared at Pettigrew on the other side._

"_Get back," Pettigrew hissed, pointing his wand through the bars at him. _

"Hermione…" a trickle of sweat poured down Ron's forehead. His eyes still closed, but his whole body twitching.

_It was as if everything had gone mute, all he could see was himself being pulled away by snatchers; and her still in the grasp of Bellatrix. Her eyes were locked on his; he could see that she was scared like he's never seen before. _

_Bellatrix whispered something in Hermione's ear, but everything scattered; another ear-piercing scream filled his insides._

"No-…please…leave her alone," Ron's breathing starting to labour as he muttered and moaned in his sleep.

"_Ron! She needs you save her!" A voice yelled. Everything was just a blur, voices couldn't be made out. "Ron, go now! She needs you!"_

"_TELL ME… WHAT ELSE DID YOU TAKE?" he heard Bellatrix scream. _

"_I didn't take anything," Hermione choked, tears running down the side of her eyes._

"_The filthy goblin may have had some luck…which is more than I can say for you, mudblood." Bellatrix now stood up with a look of a possessed woman. She raised her wand over Hermione's helpless body, "AVADA KEDAVRA!"_

"_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Ron's nightmare flashed before his eyes as that green light hit against Hermione, leaving her body now lifeless._

Tears were now running down Ron's face, as he laid on his back his eyes still closed. He couldn't find himself to wake up. His heavy breathing now turned into chokes of sobs. "No…Hermione."

_Ron was no longer in the Malfoy's Manor, but in a place in which he did not recognize. He was in a house, it was not his nor Harry's Aunt and Uncle's at Little Whinging. He looked around to see if he could see any sign or person that may give him a hint to where he was. But his surroundings simply felt deserted. A coldness struck him as he wandered in this house; a coldness that he found not to be pleasant. He looked to his side and noticed cups of coffee still not fully drunken, and there were picture frames toppled over. He went over to the shelf one was lying on and turned it over in his hand. He could only just see a faded image of Hermione. The image slowly started to fade from the frame, and as it did her picture was replaced with blood dripping down the frame. Ron's hands started to shake, as it covered his hands, he dropped it causing a 'CLANG," on the floor._

_His lips started to tremble as more tears ran down his face. He needed to get out of where he was. His head snapped in another direction as he heard a door creak. He saw one of the doors to the house half open; the wind was causing it to hit against its frame. Indistinct talking could be heard. Ron dashed towards it, blood still dripping from his hands. When he got outside, his insides froze as did his outsides. There were dozens of people gathered around in a circle, all dressed in black tuxes or dresses. Ron felt his heart break in pieces like glass shattering. Lying there, in the oak casket was Hermione. Ron had made his way through to the center, it was as if he had forgotten how to speak. She laid there, face pale as a white sheet, the cut on her neck could still be seen from Bellatrix's knife._

"_No Hermione…y-you're…y-you're not d-dead," Ron managed to whisper._

"_Oh, but she is..." a male's voice said from behind. Ron turned around and saw Harry staring at him with cold eyes, looking like an animal who just found its prey. "And it's because of you. It's your fault."_

"_No! I didn't mean for it to happen…I wanted to save her," Ron now felt as if the locket was coming out at him again._

"_Shut up!" Harry bellowed, "You're a coward! First for leaving her and now for letting her die!"_

"_-It's your fault," a now female voice came at him, Luna appeared beside Harry. "You had your chance when you escaped from the cellar, but you still let it happen." The two were now walking towards Ron, who was backing up slowly._

"_N-No…please stop," Ron pleaded. "I'm sorry."_

"_You let them kill our daughter…" Ron's eyes widened as he then saw Hermione's parents. Mr. Granger had his arm wrapped around his wife. Now he knew the house he was in before was the Granger's. Her mother wept, "She was our only child and you let them kill her."_

"_No Mrs. Granger…I swear I loved her and I tried…I couldn't get to her on time," Ron tried reaching out for the woman, but she stepped back viciously._

"_You've never loved our Hermione…we know what you always did to her…" Mr. Granger now snapped at him. _

"_Your fault," was now being whispered and exclaimed by everyone around him, all coming towards him. He could now see Ginny, his mom and dad, Fred and George. Everyone was giving him a deathly and cold stare, "Your fault…your fault."_

"_No…NO!" Ron covered his ears, tears running down his face. He ran back to the casket, "NO HERMIONE I LOVE YOU!" Ron tripped and fell into the now empty casket._

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ron flinched and bolted upright with a groan, which surprisingly did not even wake Harry. Ron didn't know what he was soaked more in; sweat or tears. He was breathing heavily as he sat up on the sofa he was sleeping on. He looked around and it took him a few short moments to realize he was in Shell Cottage. He quickly threw the blanket off of himself, and rushed towards the room that Hermione was sleeping in; feeling dizzy. With a flick of his wand, the door opened and to his dismay the bed was empty.

"Hermione?" he called looking around the small room, but no answer or no sight of her. "Hermione?"

"Oh God, bloody hell," his heart starting beating faster. He didn't know why she wasn't in bed; none of them were going to take shifts to keep watch tonight. Gripping his wand tighter, he quickly moved around the cottage. "Hermione? Where you are? Answer me, please." Ron felt a feeling in his stomach, he felt as if he was going to be sick.

Ron stopped pacing around when he heard a light sob coming from the cottage's washroom. He let out a breath as he rapidly made his way to the door and opened it. He found Hermione sitting on the ground, with her knees to her chest, her face tear-strained.

"Ron…" she whispered almost pleadingly.

Ron let out a heavy sigh of relief. He dropped his wand and rushed to her side. "Hermione, are you alright? I didn't see you in your bed and I-…you really scared me."

Hermione sniffed, she clutched Ron's hand in hers and looked into his eyes. "Ron I-…"

Ron cupped her face in his hand, "Hermione what's wrong? What happened?"

"It won't come off…I've tried…but it won't come off," she whimpered.

Ron now looked confused, but nevertheless hated seeing her in this state. "What do you mean? What won't come off?"

Hermione's hand shook, as she moved her sleeve up and showed Ron how the word "mudblood," had been carved into her. He also saw scrapes along her arm from trying to some how get it off.

'_I am going to kill that bitch if it's the last thing I do,' _Ron thought to himself.

"Listen Hermione…don't you dare let this get to you, it doesn't matter," he said, his voice cracking.

Hermione now turned her full attention to Ron and noticed his sweaty face and his glossy eyes. "Ron…are you ok? I didn't mean to scare you…" Hermione stroked some of Ron's hair with her fingers.

"I-It was horrible Hermione…I-I didn't know what to do…I c-couldn't save you…" Ron trailed off, he was now shaking more tears came down his face; he couldn't help himself anymore.

"Oh Ron! Don't cry…it wasn't your fault," she gathered him in her arms. Ron slipped his arms around her and sobbed on her shoulder. "I felt you…you were there with me."

"I wasn't strong enough, Hermione…I never am," said Ron, "I heard you scream, but I had no way out. I had a dream…I was at your funeral and everyone blamed me…and-I-I am just so sorry for everything, please don't hate me."

The two were now sobbing in each other's arms. "Ron, I'm still here. Nothing that happened is your fault. And I can never hate you."

Ron now gathered himself together. He slipped his arm behind Hermione's back and the other under her legs and picked her up bridal style. He was careful not to put too much hold on her, because she was still sore from earlier. He carried her back to her room. When he got in he gently placed her back down on her feet. He closed the door behind him and then headed towards the bed.

Hermione wondered what he was doing. She stood there looking at him with a serious look, like she did when he was explaining to her why he decided to come back to her and Harry.

Ron pulled the blankets and sat on the bed, his back to the headboard. He opened his legs and gestured her to come join him. She suddenly felt a warm sensation go through her, as she made her way to the bed. She lifted the covers and tucked herself in between Ron's legs so her back was to him. Ron helped her get enough blanket and then held her closely against him; as if he were afraid if he let her go something would happen.

Hermione leaned her head back to his shoulder so Ron's face was against hers. "Are you alright now?"

"Yes…this is nice," she whispered, her voice seemed more calm, but still shaken up. "I just feel…so useless. My blood status is-…"

"-Hermione, stop it. You can buy and sell any pure-blood witch or wizard in this world any day," Ron said sternly. "Why do you think I got so mad when Kreacher came at you like that? Not because I was ashamed of your blood status and not because I cared that he called me a blood traitor. You are an amazing witch and girl, the fact that you come from two different worlds…is what I find most amazing about you…"

Hermione blushed she loved when Ron would get like this; how he would often get protective of her. "Y-You…could be so sweet sometimes, Ronald Weasley."

Ron for the first time in a while managed to pull on a little smile. He shifted so he could pull her closer, if possible. He kissed her forehead, while muttering, "I meant every word." He sighed and looked at her arm again. "I'm sure we can eventually find some way to remove it…but if even we don't it won't matter. You are still the most amazing, intelligent, unique and most beautiful witch in this complicated world."

Hermione giggled, another tear coming down her eye. "Oh Ron…" She turned her head, cupped his face in her hand and planted a kiss on his cheek. Ron's ears now turned red as the hair on his head. "I-I'm just so afraid…something could happen to anyone of us at anytime…look at Dobby." Ron and Hermione started thinking back to when Dobby had apparated them out of the manor to the beaches of this cottage. How Harry held the almost lifeless Dobby in his arms begging the two to help him; but they stood their ground, knowing they could not help the poor elf in anyway; it killed the both of them. "A-And…my parents…"

Ron sighed he remembered when she came to the Burrow before they departed to collect Harry with Hagrid and the ministry. She was in tears, while she told him how she had to wipe her parent's memories and send them to Australia under a whole different identification. "I'm sure your parents are safe…"

"I miss them so much, Ron," she sadly said. "You know…when you had-…left…Harry and I apparated to Godric's Hallow and we ended up facing Bathilda Bagshot. She was in disguise of…_his _snake…we apparated out of there to the Forest of Dean."

"Where I found you…" said Ron.

Hermione nodded, wiping her eyes. "I used to go there with mum and dad. And I was telling Harry how…they wouldn't remember any of it. Not the trees…not the river…and not me."

"Hermione…I promise that I will not let anything to happen to you," said Ron in a strong voice, "I-I wouldn't live with myself if I did. And you will be reunited with your parents again…I promise."

Hermione clutched Ron's hand tighter; she shifted looking directly at him again. Ron could see her eyes full or worry and sorrow. They were glistening. "The spell's reversal isn't always guaranteed to work-…"

"It will work…you're the best at spells, you're the most brilliant witch," Ron whispered into her ear. "When this is all over…here's what we'll do; we'll go to Australia _together_…and we're going to find your parents and restore their memories. I'm going to tell them how brilliant and brave you were through out everything we've been through."

"W-Will you really come with me to find my parents, Ron?" Hermione asked lovingly. She tried not to move so much, she could feel aches around her body.

"I'm not leaving you again," he replied, his ears now turned red again at what he said next, "And…I think it's about time you introduce me to you parents, Hermione."

"And haven't you already been introduced to them, Ronald?" Hermione said with a playful smirk on her face.

Ron chuckled, "I'm not too sure when you're referring to." He now became more serious, "I meant it though, Hermione. I know I haven't been the best person to depend on in the months we've been out here, I've been a right git; but I promise to be better and I promise I'll be there for you and Harry. Most importantly…I promise I won't ever leave you again."

Ron held Hermione in his arms the whole night. They stayed on her bed and fell asleep together in that same position. Ron wasn't sure what was to come next; he knew dark times were still ahead. He knew however; he would never again break his promise to Hermione.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**A/N- **Finished up this story on the 5th floor of my uni's main library; not quite the Gryffindor common room…but similar atmosphere (: Hope you all enjoyed DH part 1 and this one-shot READ/REVIEW cheers! ~Danielle*~ aka dandin


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